ARMA, in a general sense, includes all kinds of weapons, whether for defence or offence. Nicod derives the word from the Latin phrase quod operiant armos, because they cover the shoulders or sides; but Varro derives arma, ab arvendo, eo quod arceant boves. It is supposed that the first artificial arms were of wood, and were only employed against beasts; and that Belus, the son of Nimrod, was the first that waged war; whence, according to some, came the appellation belum. Diodorus Siculus takes Belus to be the same with Mars, who first trained soldiers up to battle.—Arms of stone, and even of brass, appear to have been used before they came to iron and steel. Josephus affirms us, that the patriarch Joseph first taught the use of iron arms in Egypt, arming the troops of Pharaoh with a casque and buckler.

What contributed most to render the Romans masters of the world, was, that having successively warred against all nations, they constantly renounced their own methods, arms, &c. whenever they met with better. Thus Romulus during his war with the Sabins, a bold and warlike nation, adopted their broad buckler in lieu of the small Argian buckler, which he had used till that time.

The principal arms of the ancient Britons were hatchets, scythes, lances, swords, and bucklers: the Saxons, &c. brought in the halbard, bow, arrows, arbalets, &c. By the ancient laws of England, every man was obliged to bear arms, except the judges and clergy. Under Henry VIII. it was expressly enjoined on all persons to be regularly instructed, even from their tender years, in the exercise of the arms then in use; viz. the long bow and arrows; and to be provided with a certain number of them. 33 H. VIII.

Arms, Arma, in law, are extended to any thing which a man takes in his hand in his wrath, to cast at, or strike another.

By the common law, it is an offence for persons to go or ride armed with dangerous weapons: but gentlemen may wear common armour, according to their quality, &c. 3d Inst. The king may prohibit force of arms, and punish offenders according to law; and here-in every subject is bound to be aiding, Stat. 7. Edw. I. None shall come with force and arms before the king's justices, nor ride armed in affray of the peace, on pain to forfeit their armour, and to suffer imprisonment, &c. 2d Ed. III. c. 3.

The importation of arms and ammunition are prohibited by 1 Jac. II. c. 8. and by 1 W. and M. stat. 2. c. 2. Protestant subjects may have arms for their defence. So likewise arms, &c. shipped after prohibition, are forfeited, by 29 Geo. I. c. 16. sec. 2.

Arms of offence in use among us at present are, the sword, pistol, musket, bayonet, pike, &c.

The arms of the Highlanders are, the broad sword, target, poniard, and whinny or dark, &c.—There are several acts of parliament for disarming the Highlanders; see 1 Geo. I. c. 54.; 11 Geo. I. c. 26.; 19 Geo. II. c. 39.; 21 Geo. II. c. 34.; 26 Geo. II. c. 22. and 29.

Fire-arms are those charged with powder and ball; such are cannon, mortars, and other ordnance; muskets, carbines, pistols, and even bombs, grenades, carcasses, &c. In the History of the Royal Academy for the year 1707, we have an account of some experiments made with fire-arms differently loaded, by M. Caffini. Among other things he observes, that by loading the piece with a ball which is somewhat less than the calibre, and only laying a little gunpowder below the ball and a good deal above it, it will yield a vehement noise, but have no sensible effect or impulsive on the ball.—This he takes to have been all the secret of those people who pretended to sell the art of rendering one's self invulnerable, or shot-proof.

Arms, pas de, was a kind of combat in use among the ancient cavaliers.

Arms, stand of. A stand of arms signifies a musket, a bayonet, a sword, belt, and cartridge-box.

Arms of parade, or courtesy, were those used in the ancient jousts and tournaments; which were commonly unshod lances, swords without edge or point, wooden swords, and even canes.

Arms denote the natural weapons, or parts of defence, of beasts: as claws, teeth, tusks of elephants, beaks of birds, &c.

Arms are also used figuratively for the profession of a soldier. Thus we say, he was bred to arms.

armories, are also used in heraldry for marks of dignity and honour, regularly composed of certain figures and colours, given or authorized by sovereigns, and borne in banners, shields, coats, &c. for the distinction of persons, families, and states, and passing by descent to posterity.—They are called arms, in regard they are borne principally on the buckler, cuirass, banners, and other apparatus of war. They are also called coats of arms, coat armour, &c. because anciently embroidered on fur-coats, &c. See Heraldry.—Some will have the name to have been first occasioned by the ancient knights, who in their jousts and tournaments bore certain marks (which were frequently their mistress's favours) in their armour, i.e. their helmets or shield, to distinguish them from each other.

Arms, at present, follow the nature of titles, which being made hereditary, these are also become so, being the several marks for distinguishing of families and kindreds, as names are of persons and individuals.

Arms are variously distinguished by the Heralds.

Arms of alliance, are those which families or private persons join to their own, to denote the alliances which they have contracted by marriage.

Arms, affirming, are such as a man has a right to assume of himself, in virtue of some gallant action.

As, if a man who is no gentleman, of blood, nor has coat armour, takes a gentleman, lord, or prince, prisoner, in any lawful war; he becomes entitled to bear the shield of such prisoner, and enjoy it to him and his heirs. The foundation hereof is that principle in military law, that the dominion of things taken in lawful war passes to the conqueror.

Arms, canting, are those wherein the figures bear an allusion to the name of the family.—Such are those of the family of La Tour in Auvergne, who bear a tower; that of the family of Prado in Spain, whose field is a meadow. Most authors hold these the most noble and regular, as is shown by an infinity of instances produced by father Varenne and Menetrier.—They are much debased when they come to partake of the Rebus.

Arms, charged, are such as retain their ancient integrity and value, with the addition of some new honourable charge or bearing, in consideration of some noble action.

Arms of community, are those of bishoprics, cities, universities, and other bodies corporate.

Arms of concession, or augmentation of honour, are either entire arms, or else one or more figures given by princes, as a reward for some extraordinary service.

Arms of dominion, are those which emperors, kings, and sovereign states bear; being annexed to the territories which they possess. Thus the three lions are the arms of England; the fleurs de lys those of France, &c.

Arms of family, or paternal arms, are such as belong to a particular family, and which no other person has a right to assume.

Arms, full, or entire, are such as retain their primitive purity, integrity, or value; without any alterations, diminutions, abatements, or the like.—It is a rule, that the simpler and less diversified the arms, the more noble and ancient they are. For this reason Garcias Ximenes, first king of Navarre, and his successors for several ages, bore only gules, without any figure at all.

The arms of princes of the blood, of all younger sons, and junior families, are not pure and full; but distinguished and diminished by proper differences, &c. Arms of patronage, are those which governors of provinces, lords of manors, &c. add to their family arms, in token of their peculiar superiority and jurisdiction.

Arms of pretension, are those of such kingdoms or territories to which a prince or lord has some claim, and which he adds to his own, though the kingdoms or territories be possessed by a foreign prince or other lord. Thus the kings of England have quartered the arms of France with their own, ever since the claim of Edward III. to that kingdom, in 1332.

Arms of succession, are assumed by those who inherit estates, manors, &c. by will, entail, or donation, and which they either impale or quarter with their own arms.

Arms are also said to be parted, couped, quartered, &c.

Arms are said to be false and irregular, when there is something in them contrary to the established rules of heraldry. As, when metal is put on metal, or colour on colour, &c.

The laws, and other affairs of arms, with the cognizance of offences committed therein, belong, among us, to the earl-marshal and college of arms.

Arms in falconry, denote the legs of an hawk, from the thigh to the foot. See Falconry.